Back Roads on ABC and ABC iview S11E2 – The Robert Burns Celtic Festival celebrates Camperdown’s unlikely connection to the famous Scottish poet.
Guest Presenter Kerry Staight throws herself into the festival by entering the shortbread competition, where she is outcooked by a class of year eight students. Undeterred Kerry gives haggis, another Scottish delicacy, a go while enjoying the many musical talents on display including some young bagpipers.
Kerry also learns of the local Aboriginal heritage, in particular Wombeetch Puyuun, who was the last of his tribe to live on Country. Dr Vicki Couzens shares the story of this local Elder and the unlikely friendship he forged with Scottish pastoralist James Dawson. It’s a relationship which was instrumental in saving the local indigenous languages from being lost.
Camperdown is home to some unique characters who aren’t afraid to go their own way. Lawrie Voutier owns the local scrapyard, making his living from other people’s rubbish. Surprisingly, behind his rough and ready demeanour, Kerry discovers his true love is antiquities. It’s a passion that has led to one of the biggest private antique collections in Australia including 1000 clocks and 800 Mary Gregory vases.
Another local who is breaking with convention is Tony Dupleix, a farmer who has potentially established the first cemetery in the world where the deceased are buried upright. There are no coffins or headstones. In fact, this environmentally friendly cemetery looks like a typical paddock.
Production credit:
Executive Producer: Brigid Donovan. Series Producer: Louise Turley.
Back Roads on ABC and ABC iview – Tuesday 16 November, 2024 at 8.00pm
TV Central ABC content HERE
Back Roads on ABC and ABC iview S11E2
